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So how many times does the same, deal killing, inspection have to be done and paid for by different parties before it is (wire) fraud? The same inspector could even reuse the same report, and recollect the full amount multiple times...
One thing a new buyer needs to understand is that the inspection looks at the conditions on the day of the inspection. Conditions can change over time and even the very next day. For example a roof that was just awesome one day could wind up being trash the next if a storm did come through.
The buyer also should take into consideration what a previous inspection report may not have that possibly should have been there. That is why a new buyer for a property who already had a deal fall through really should hire their own Inspector. Yes they can use the previous report as well.
I would not doubt there have been cases of Inspectors performing multiple inspections on the same property who have re-used the previous report and did little during the new inspection. Or Inspectors who have had access to a prior Inspector's report and doing the same thing. Those Inspectors are very, very few and far between and in that case generally do not last long in the business! Any intelligent Inspector who knows what they are doing will approach every inspection as if they were never there before or had no previous inspection report knowledge.
So how many times does the same, deal killing, inspection have to be done and paid for by different parties before it is (wire) fraud? The same inspector could even reuse the same report, and recollect the full amount multiple times...
Just about every time a deal went south it was not my inspection report....it was the conditions of the home that came to light. Inspectors have no control of the conditions a house is in. We are trying to tell our clients, the best we can, the true condition of the house.
Not sure how doing multiple inspections on the same house can be considered fraud. Someone hires us, we go out, spend a few hours inspecting the house, and writing a report. Each client is a new trip. If you went to McDonalds and got a Big Mac every day, and they charged you each time, is that fraud?
Something that you obviously haven't considered. It is much more work to write a report that has lots of issues. Not only does it take more time to inspect the component, but it takes more time to actually write that part of the report. Why on earth would I want to generate more work for myself?
The thought an inspector would use the same report is just ridiculous. Unless it was the very next day, there is a good chance something that was found the first time, has changed. It might have been fixed. I could have gotten worse. It might even have caused a second problem. When I went out to a house, and realized I had been there before, I didn't even look up the old report. I wanted to look at the house with fresh eyes, and do my job. I know hundreds of inspectors around the country, and I don't know any that would use the same report.
Maybe in your line of work you conduct yourself in unethical behavior, but I can tell you that most home inspectors do not engage in the unethical behavior you outlined.
I say dont worry about some inspection report made prior to you wanting the house. Get your own inspection done and dont let any real estate salesman have a thing to do with it...The condition of the house NOW is all you need to know.........and know it well....
My go-to inspector has inspected a few homes for us where we had a previous inspection report available from the seller. He has always wanted to do his inspection first, and THEN look at the other report.
In cases where the prior report was provided and the condition had changed, he was then able to assess why - and if a repair was made, inspect how it was done. It adds some depth to the report, but it has never changed the overall assessment of the place too much.
An inspector should include the best information available. Including reports by himself or other on an earlier occasion. To be fully correct he needs to include all available information which would certainly include an earlier report if it is available to him.
One thing a new buyer needs to understand is that the inspection looks at the conditions on the day of the inspection. Conditions can change over time and even the very next day. For example a roof that was just awesome one day could wind up being trash the next if a storm did come through.
The buyer also should take into consideration what a previous inspection report may not have that possibly should have been there. That is why a new buyer for a property who already had a deal fall through really should hire their own Inspector. Yes they can use the previous report as well.
I would not doubt there have been cases of Inspectors performing multiple inspections on the same property who have re-used the previous report and did little during the new inspection. Or Inspectors who have had access to a prior Inspector's report and doing the same thing. Those Inspectors are very, very few and far between and in that case generally do not last long in the business! Any intelligent Inspector who knows what they are doing will approach every inspection as if they were never there before or had no previous inspection report knowledge.
IMO one of the things that's going to impact your inspection report the most is . . . who you hire you hire to do the inspection.
Honestly, if you were to hire 10 inspectors to look at the same house you would likely get 10 very different inspection reports. Some will miss some things that others will find. Some reports will be more detailed than others. Some inspectors will describe defects differently than others. Just like any profession, not all inspectors are created equal and their personal opinions/beliefs will impact the way they present information. I've definitely found that the presentation of defects can have a high impact on the way the defect is interpreted by the buyer. Plenty of real estate transactions have fallen apart over what are IMO minor defects because they were presented as major defects by the inspector.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Barking Spider
Just about every time a deal went south it was not my inspection report....it was the conditions of the home that came to light. Inspectors have no control of the conditions a house is in. We are trying to tell our clients, the best we can, the true condition of the house.
Not sure how doing multiple inspections on the same house can be considered fraud. Someone hires us, we go out, spend a few hours inspecting the house, and writing a report. Each client is a new trip. If you went to McDonalds and got a Big Mac every day, and they charged you each time, is that fraud?
Something that you obviously haven't considered. It is much more work to write a report that has lots of issues. Not only does it take more time to inspect the component, but it takes more time to actually write that part of the report. Why on earth would I want to generate more work for myself?
The thought an inspector would use the same report is just ridiculous. Unless it was the very next day, there is a good chance something that was found the first time, has changed. It might have been fixed. I could have gotten worse. It might even have caused a second problem. When I went out to a house, and realized I had been there before, I didn't even look up the old report. I wanted to look at the house with fresh eyes, and do my job. I know hundreds of inspectors around the country, and I don't know any that would use the same report.
Maybe in your line of work you conduct yourself in unethical behavior, but I can tell you that most home inspectors do not engage in the unethical behavior you outlined.
If an inspector had an inspected a home in the recent past and the walked in, did the inspection very quickly, and handed the buyer the old report they would not be in business very long. Each inspection is it's own unique set of circumstances and should be treated as a completely new inspection. Not only will you see things the second time around that you might not have seen the first time but environmental conditions may be different the second time around (ex. it was raining during the 2nd inspection which allowed the inspector to identify a leak in the roof).
IMO, there's absolutely nothing wrong with an inspector inspecting the same house 100 times even in a short period of time. There's nothing fraudulent about it so long as the inspector is fully inspecting the house each time. If they walk in the door and hand you the report from two weeks ago, that's a different story.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr78609
I say dont worry about some inspection report made prior to you wanting the house. Get your own inspection done and dont let any real estate salesman have a thing to do with it...The condition of the house NOW is all you need to know.........and know it well....
If you don't trust your agent to connect you with honest and reliable people, then either find yourself a new agent or don't use one. If you can't trust your agent to connect you with a thorough and honest home inspector then you just can't trust them period. Of course, it's possible the trust issue may have more to do with you than the agent because of your preconceived notions about real estate agents but that's an entirely different conversation.
The bottom line is that most agents have far more experience and knowledge to judge home inspectors than home buyers do. If you hire the right agent (i.e. a trustworthy and knowledgeable one) then they will absolutely be able to guide you to a better home inspector than your co-worker, Joe, who just bought a house last week or by looking at laughable supposedly reliable sites like Angie's List.
If you don't trust your agent to connect you with honest and reliable people, then either find yourself a new agent or don't use one. If you can't trust your agent to connect you with a thorough and honest home inspector then you just can't trust them period. Of course, it's possible the trust issue may have more to do with you than the agent because of your preconceived notions about real estate agents but that's an entirely different conversation.
The bottom line is that most agents have far more experience and knowledge to judge home inspectors than home buyers do. If you hire the right agent (i.e. a trustworthy and knowledgeable one) then they will absolutely be able to guide you to a better home inspector than your co-worker, Joe, who just bought a house last week or by looking at laughable supposedly reliable sites like Angie's List.
Yup.
The question I have asked that sort of poster, for years without a single cogent response, is:
"When the client decides to hire a known doofus or crook, whether on referral from their kid's Little League coach, or hairstylist's brother in law, or off paid ad sites like HomeAdvisor or Angie's List, how should I handle it?
As a fiduciary, should I ignore it? Should I advise the client? What is my liability when I know they hired the guy who cannot read and write beyond a 6th grade level, so his wife or high school kid writes his generally incoherent reports?"
I'll bet many on here would advise never to use the agent's inspector. The inspection industry is as raunchy as the home warranty industry, and plenty working both. Appraisal business isn't too legit, either. Been steered to bad agents, by agents, and have also been steered to the worst possible escrow companies. Trust and verify...or do as much work you can by yourself.
I'll bet many on here would advise never to use the agent's inspector. The inspection industry is as raunchy as the home warranty industry, and plenty working both. Appraisal business isn't too legit, either. Been steered to bad agents, by agents, and have also been steered to the worst possible escrow companies. Trust and verify...or do as much work you can by yourself.
Any agent who would refer you to a poor performing (or multiple poor performing) professional(s) is in fact themselves a poor professional. As I said, in any walk of life there are going to be good and bad. If the agent YOU hired is poor where does the blame fall there? Do your due diligence and hire the right agent, if you do everything else will fall into place.
An inspector should include the best information available.
Absolutely and if they do their job they will find and report on issues currently present in the home.
Including reports by himself or other on an earlier occasion.
A report is a view of the home on the day of the inspection. If an Inspector performed an inspection prior to the new one, and they were aware they did, then yes I would expect them to review it. It can be very helpful when they inspect the home again. However I also expect them to perform a full and thorough inspection as if they never had been there before.
As for the reports from others the Inspector was not there when that inspection was performed and the contents of the report of another Inspector should not be relied on, from an Inspector's perspective. Also the Inspector should not be providing those reports to their client and leave that to the seller and seller's Agent. It is not the Inspector's job to do this.
To be fully correct he needs to include all available information which would certainly include an earlier report if it is available to him.
I've already touched on previous reports but what other "all available information" are you referring to?
I have made some observations, comments, and question above in blue.
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